Keeper's of Destiny
by Cagallirocks
Summary: Voices invade her waking, dreams of the past invade her sleep. What could young Kagome be hiding from the others? And what could lie in the south that has her so terrified?Chapter 3 up, chapter 4 coming soon!
1. Chapter 1

**_This is my first Inuyasha story ^_^ _**

**_I tried posting it a while back, but I have re edited it to be a little longer._**

**_Disclaimer- this has been inspired by a book. I wont say which book because I don't want to give it away, but everything here is mine beside the characters. _**

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_**Chapter 1**_

_My lungs burn, the searing heat sucking every breath away before it is fully taken. Blinded by the tears running down my face, and deafened by the roaring of the fire around me I know that death is drawing ever closer. _

_The fire elemental I have conjured with the power of the Board will cavort in the open for a short time before descending on me and devouring me whole. But even in the pain I am, I still long for the Boards burning kiss, ache to control it and make it mine once again. _

_My knees scrape against the hot surface as I dart forth and reach for the Board, opening and speaking my mind, trying to reach and control it once more. But nothing comes out. The searing heat has dried my throat out and I cannot reach the Board. I can hear the crackling of the fire, and I know the element is laugh at me._

"_You are but a candle flame compared to her. Your weak and shall never control me."_

_Where are the Winds? I reach for it in my mind but cannot seek it, almost as if it never existed. _

_Waters; its voice as fleeting as the gurgling spring dried up into the earths crust by the sheer heat their brother: Fire._

_Strongest of the three. Confident, arrogant and prepared to wrest control away from me at a moments notice. And I know once that happens the others will follow. For to control Fire is to be in control of all others._

_Three fire elementals tower overhead, roaring and furious to have been torn from their home deep in the center of the Earth. A tongue of flame lashes out towards me and before I can move kisses across my cheek, leaving a mark that immediately turned into painful blisters. _

_I know my chances of escaping are slim so I pray that whatever happens, it will be quick. The flames spin faster and faster around me and they draw closer towards me until I cannot see nor breathe through the heat. Inches away I feel my skin crisping and peeling away one thin blackened layer at a time. I want to scream. My body wants to scream till I cry, but my throat is so dry. How long will the pain last? Will my conscious slip away like ash or will it remain till my life slips away. Aware of the pain and terror. Aware and shrieking as I burn away into the darkness. _

_Then it comes. Fire speaks for one last time, his voice bright and filled with hatred and malice that, my own arrogance, had inspired. _

"_Yes fool, you will be aware- and it will hurt for a long, long time."_

_Then the real pain comes, and I know that he has spoken the truth._

Kagome's screams tore through the dark night, waking up everyone around her and they raced over to her. She hadn't fully awakened yet, and she had thrown herself to the forest floor and started rolling all over the place trying to douse the imaginary flames of her dreams. She cried out that she was still burning in the flames. Her breathes were short, coughs consuming most of her oxygen, causing her body to tremble.

Inuyasha and the others stood around her, watching as their friend whimpered in her semi-sleep about how flames had claimed her flesh, charring it black with their burning tongues. Inuyasha reached his hand out to her when she started beating at her hair and face in an attempt to put the flames out.

"Kagome! Kagome wake up. Your safe but please just wake up!" Inuyasha yelled, holding the crying girl to his chest. Her eyes flew open and she took deep shuddering breathes as she looked around at her surroundings. She buried her face into Inuyasha's kimono when it hit her all of it was a dream and she clung to him for support.

Inuyasha was surprised at the girl's actions, but held her in his arms as her tears soaked through his kimono.

"Are you alright?" Sango asked, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a bad dream." She said, her voice cracked as she tried to maintain her composure. She pushed away from Inuyasha, missing the hint of disappointment on his face, and stood up shaking herself free of her sleeping bag. She walked away from her friends towards where she knew the river was. She dodged low hanging branches and watched her footing as she walked along the damp ground.

When she reached the river bank she knelt down and cupped the cold water in her hands and splashed it against her face, feeling slightly better. She put her elbow on her knee and stared into the water, feeling relived that she was only dreaming. She reached her hand out and dipped her fingers into the water, swirling them around making ripples form on the waters surface. The moonlight casting from above made the water glow, creating beautiful blues and whites on the surface. It was magical.

Kagome smiled, feeling a little more at peace.

"I wonder…" She murmured to herself, drawing her hand back from the water.

She stood up from the bank and started walking back to the camp where the others were but stopped just at the edge of the tree's when the sounds of Sango and Miroku talking came to her ears.

"Kagome's been having bad dreams for the last month now hasn't she?"

"It could be just stress."

"I hope so."

Kagome looked down at the ground, hearing the worry in Sango's tone tore her heart in two.

'I'm sorry Sango, but there are just something's, no one would understand.' Kagome thought to herself. She looked over her shoulder up at the night sky towards where the crescent moon hung high in the sky.

"How ironic…" She muttered staring at the pearly moon. She smirked to herself and kept walking into the make shift camp site until she joined the group.

"You feeling any better Kagome?"

"Yeah thanks Sango. I'm sorry you guys for waking you all up."

"Keh it's not like I care. Just as long as you can keeping searching for the jewel shards I don't really care."

"Sit Boy." She muttered a loud crash sounding from behind her and a string of curses following soon after. She climbed back into her sleeping bag and shuffled down until she was chest deep inside. She put her hands behind her head and leaned back on the pillow and stared up to the sky through the wide gap in the trees. Shippo came back over to Kagome and snuggled into the sleeping bag with her, burying his face into the crook of her neck. She looked down at the mass of fur and smiled warmly, instantly feeling at ease.

'I can't shake that dream. It's been so long too…'

"_Psst…Kagome."_

"Not now."

"_Fine… stupid old bat."_

Kagome just rolled her eyes and sighed, trying to relax and ignore the muttering curses coming from not only Inuyasha but also from somewhere else. Slowly she dozed off, this time her dreams untouched and leaving her to sleep well into the cold morning, being watched over by Inuyasha, who didn't bother hiding his concern for the girl.

When she did finally wake up the next morning, the air and ground around her was damp and misty from the fog surrounding her. She sat up and stretched out her back, cracking a few bones in the process.

"Good morning Kagome." Sango greeted, sitting next to Kagome.

"Morning Sango." Kagome greeted, faking a smile back. Her body was sore and her mind was running too fast for her to feel genuine this morning.

"What's this weird feeling?" Kagome thought, unable to shake the dull aching sensation in her chest.

"_Something wrong?"_

"Is there any danger near by?"

"_Not right now. But let LaVarden get their way, and that wont last too much longer."_

"Terrific."Kagome rolled her eyes and pulled herself up out of the sleeping bag.

"_Anything can happen. And knowing you, it will."_

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**End**


	2. Chapter 2

**'hi' means talking dialogue**

"**hi" means thinking dialogue**

"_**hi" means dialogue I'm not explaining right now ^_^ mystery dialogue**_

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

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_The voices are distant and familiar to me. In the dark, hollow void in my mind and in my dreams. I can hear them but I see no one. All is black and there is only the voice of the Wind hissing and swirling around and the voice of Water gurgling like the rising flood waters. They speak a language; a language I cannot understand. Bu I know deep down they are planning... something. _

_Even as I lie here half asleep they plot. _

_If only I could understand what they are saying. _

"_We speak of many things mistress. Things at this point in time my sister and I don't find you worthy of knowing. Although we are equally sure you won't fail like so many others have tried to do."_

"_Try what exactly?"_

"_To open the way."_

_I know the fools won't answer such an obvious question, but i ask a different one still._

"_How must I go about to open the way you speak of?"_

_The Boards laugh and the sounds are Earth sounds; a spring wind rushing across open fields, water rolling over rough stream beds. _

"_You will come to understand the rules we are bound by in time."_

"_I don't think she is ready."_

"_She is the last. If she fails all is lost and the way can never be opened."_

_For several long minutes the boards argue over my worth, but in another language. I still don't understand what they are saying and I can feel my own frustration growing. I try to speak out but they refuse to hear me, which sends me over._

"_Benostrith!"I scream in the void and finally everything is silent. _

"_When my mother entrusted you to me, she never told me how difficult you would be."_

"_Now I will say this once and only once! I am the Keeper of the Boards. I will be the one to judge when I'm ready and when I'm not. The burden is on me, no one else, do you understand!?"_

'_Oh yeah.'_

"_Lithia." _

_At once four voices started drifting back and spoke as one. "Your will is ours Keeper. We understand."_

"_Now, what are these master boards I've heard of?"_

"_The priest is teaching you well. For now the names of the other two boards will remain out of your knowledge until the time is right."_

_Frustrated I rub my temples with my fingers._

"_The first master board is The Elemental Board. As the name implies it's a master board of the four elements; The Board of Wind, Fire, Earth and Water. With the proper power and the Boards combined properly, you will be granted limitless power of the elements."_

"_Can I know...the name of the second master board?"_

_Silence fell for a few seconds before the Board of Air grunted softly._

"_I shall name the next Board, but its power will need to remain unknown until another time. Its known as the weaker Board, for it has no real control over much. It's the Board of Small Life. I know not the name of the boards themselves, we are not connected to them."_

"_Has anyone..." But I cut my own words off, not really knowing how to ask. _

"_Ask keeper. But choose your question wisely."_

"_Has anyone... ever made all three master boards?"_

_The board of Fire let out a low rumbling chuckle, crackling and hissing wildly. _

"_This is dangerous to talk about at this time."_

"_But i shall say yes. Just don't ask anything else."_

"_And my mother thought i was insolent." She really had no idea. _

"_We merely are trying to help Keeper."_

"_What happens if I quit; if I don't want all this power and torments?"_

_Strangely enough they laugh at my question, like it's a big joke to them._

_I go to speak but the Air silences me._

"_You are the Keeper. You have no choice."_

"_The moment you awoke me you took this on yourself. This is why so many before you chose not to awaken me. The only time you can stop is in death. Try to before then, dreams, voices, all these things will haunt and torment you until you are no longer able to tell the difference between reality and dreams. You'll come to the stage where you will your life away, just to stop the torment."_

"_But that will not happen." A new voice sounds. It's sharp, and rings in my ears like a bell chime. _

"_Whose there?" I demand. The boards have stopped talking. All is silent until the new voice chimes again._

"_I think you have had enough for tonight." _

_Suddenly a sharp stab shots through my chest, hitting me and piercing through me like lightening. I scream inwardly, so the guards outside don't hear me and come in. _

"_I bid the very earth, the very light of this world to awaken. And with it bring forth your ultimate, your hunger and your strength."_

_Another sharp bolt passes through me, although i don't feel this one so badly. My body numbs, like my life is being crushed._

'_I'm afraid. Afraid of life, of power and of death.' Those words echo in my mind but disappear when a blue shadow appears in front of me._

"_Awaken, and seek new life in power." When that command sounds the third and final strike pierces through my body._

_But this time I cannot hold back my scream._

Kagome's eyes opened suddenly, shutting almost immediately against the sun light creeping through the window.

"I must have...fallen asleep again." She pushed herself up onto her elbows and sat up, feeling her joints stiffen up.

"I haven't slept well for a while so it's no wonder." She pushed out of the sleeping bag and shakily climbed to her sock covered feet. Stretching out, the sound of her vertebrae cracking could be heard as she moved to loosen her muscles. When she rubbed the back of her neck she noticed the stickiness of her skin. She looked down and noticed her clothes were sweaty, probably from her dream.

'Damn. If this keeps up I'll have to go back home soon.' Kagome muttered to herself. She was about to strip off when she decided to instead have a soak in the river. She crossed over to her back pack and unzipped it and carefully started digging around for her change of clothes. When her hand found the clothes she pulled them out and laid them by her leg and pulled out the can of deodorant and her shampoo bottle.

She closed the zipper and gathered up her belongings and stood up. She slipped on her shoes and head for the door. As soon as she stepped out of the hut she was met by the brilliant warmth of the sunlight. She took in a deep breath of fresh air and smiled, relishing the lovely weather. Looking around she could see none of the group and she took the open invitation and escaped the village and made her way down to the river.

Passing by other villagers she smiled and greeted them as she passed by and they in turn would wave back then return to their work. Her shoes scattered stones and dirt around, shifting with her footsteps.

"These dreams are becoming so weird."

'And I can't for the life of me put them together. They're all so…abstracted.' She rubbed her forehead in frustration, dumping her clothes onto a large boulder. Sighing, she stripped off her clothes and let them fall to her feet. Shivering as the slight wind blowing through hit her sweat soaked skin; she took a deep breath, readied herself and took off, running straight into the water.

"_Kagome?"_

"What is it?"

"_You have got to do something about those dreams."_

"What do you think it means?"

"_I'm not too sure. I've never dealt with this before. Only my sister has. She'd say it's something boring like a foe is coming out or something."_

"And that's boring for you?What you getting soft in your old age?"

"_You should talk. At least you're being careful this time."_

"But seriously."

"_Hmm?"_

"_We need to ask my sister about this. If there is danger they should be informed too."_

"Got any suggestions on I dunno, getting away from Inuyasha?"

"_... Hey! Do I look green and wrinkly to you? No, why? I'm not Yoda!"_

"Oh come on."

"_Hey don't look to me for that subject. It's not my fault we ended up back here again, remember?"_

"I know but a little help once in a while would be good."

"_And you letting me light a fire somewhere once in a while would be good too, but NOO. You won't let me."_

She stepped out of the water and dried off a little, and slipped into the change of clothes, feeling instantly better. She collected her stuff back up and slipped her bare feet into her shoes and started making her way back towards the village.

"Look tomorrow night I'll meet up with the others. Let them know it's important. Can you handle that?"

"_Gee let me think about it." _Kagome waited, patiently waiting for an answer.

"_OF COURSE I CAN! WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!" _Kagome cringed at the rumbling. She pushed through the door to the hut and dumped everything in her arms next to her backpack. She knelt down and started packing away everything.

'That's the spirit.' She smiled and stuffed her sweaty clothes into her back pack and zipped it back up.

'Hey Kagome, you awake yet?' Sango came into the hut and smiled at Kagome.

'Hey Sango. Where is everyone?' Kagome asked, standing up from her position.

'Outside helping Kaede and the villagers.'

'Get this. Kaede just explained to us about that forest incident we heard about, and now Miroku and Inuyasha want to set off for more information on it.'

'Weren't they the ones that said it would be a waste of time?' Kagome asked, slightly confused.

'Yes.'Sango replied nodding a little.

'And that we shouldn't use the hours we should be searching for the jewel shards on something so trivial.'

'Yes.'

'And shot us down because we said it would be a good idea.' At this point Kagome could feel her anger rising in her chest, threatening to burst.

'Yep.'

'Then im not going.'

'What?! You can't leave me alone with them Kagome.' Sango tried reasoning, hating the prospect of being alone with the two men.

'I have something I need to take care of. Sorry Sango.' She pushed passed her friend. Ignoring her calls and ran out of the village in the direction of the well. Instead she changed her direction and ran straight down to the river bank, propping her back against a tree trunk. She took in a deep breath and relaxed against the cool ground. She was so relaxed she didn't see or hear Inuyasha sitting in a tree a few feet away from her.

'It's so peaceful here. '

"_Peace and the unwitting desire for love.  
Can never burn through and pierce my fears.  
But for you my dear we can find a way  
To build our everlasting lifetime  
With this power thrust upon me."_

"_How poetic of you. Pretty."_

'Yeah, pretty.' She didn't realize she said it out loud.

'Kagome?' Inuyasha's voice broke the silence. Kagome rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

'Oh hey Inuyasha.' She smiled

'Sango told me you needed to go home to take care of something.'

'Yeah its kind of an emergency. I could meet up with you guys when I get back.'

'I guess.'

'Either that or in a day you could track my scent to find me.'

'Alright. I'm still not comfortable with this though.'

'I'll be fine Inuyasha.'

'Come on. Lets get back to the village.' Inuyasha stood up followed by Kagome and the two silently walked back into the village. But things in the village weren't quite so quiet. Villagers were panicked, some of the women were crying while clinging to their children.

"_Everyone seems so worried about something_."Kagome thought.

'What's going on?' Kagome asked one of the male villagers who was still plowing in the fields.

'War has been declared in the south.' He shouted over the noise.

"Hey..." She heard an annoyed sigh before anything.

"_What is it?"_

"Delay that message. Ill have to live with it for now." Kagome disappeared inside the hut she was staying in. She collected her things, stuffing them violently into her poor old yellow backpack. Scanning for anything that she might have missed, she raced outside and ran straight through the tree's towards the bone eaters well. She stopped, looking over her shoulder to see if she was alone. She prayed Inuyasha hadn't followed her.

"Its too dangerous... to call them out right now." She gripped the sides of the well, pausing, before jumping into the same abyss that brought her here.

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**The end**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note 1- the voice/italic will be explained soonish over the course of the next few chapters.**

**Note 2- thank you too everyone who reads this story ^_^ a lot of work goes into each and every chapter and I really appreciate the support.**

**Chapter 4 will be a longer chapter than this, this is more filler to then flow into the next chapter than a full chapter. So don't be too upset at how little this chapter is. **

**Next update will be following in a few hours and its partnered with this one. So if you would like you can wait to read this till the fourth is up.**

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**Chapter 3**

"_What is this?" My hand swept across the surface, brush with it a layer of dust. This must have been laying here, untouched for years._

"_Call on me and I will answer with all the manifestations of the winds. From the most gentle a breeze to the fearsome power of the tornado,I am the element of Air. I am the giver of life, of breath, and so long as you hold the board, my power will forever be at your will."_

"_who are you?"_

"_i am one part of a whole, by right yours to command and to use to your effect. I am one of thirteen, of the many. I am one of the first set."_

"_i was born of Shalizander, and by her master as well."_

"_part of the whole? Part of the thirteen! What does this all mean?"_

"_Patience mistress. In time I shall reveal as you learn more and I will bestow you my ancient powers and the knowledge of the ages. Your journey and mine shall be together with the rest of my brethren. We shall open the way."_

"_The of what? To where?"_

"_To the whole. To the thirteen."_

_Directing my attention from the board in my hand, I gaze out the window. From what was a light summer breeze is now fierce and brutal, trees in the court yard groaning from the strain, the windows of my sitting room rattling in their holdings. _

"_How do I use you? How do I control this?"_

"_you must use and master your call to me. I will answer, or I will master you with mine."_

"_In time, if your call is true, I will hear you even from great distances. It matters little."_

"_We are one and we are the same."_

"_We want the same things."_

"_And what would that be?"_

"_Power!Power to create the most perfect and violent kiss of the storm."_

"_What storm?"_

"_This storm. Our storm. The one called forth by my power as I felt the anger in you swell. Can you not feel it mistress?"_

_Searching in my mind, deep into the very depths of my consciousness, I see myself searching the outside, and realize I can feel it all. The monstrous winds, the dark heavy rain. Its all bearing down on the castle. If it reaches the village. When it gets there..._

"_No!' I screamed. "That's not what I want."_

_It is mistress. Your mind is clear to me, you hold no secrets, no lies. _

"_You no longer need to fear."_

_I feel the surge of power within me and I know the Board is telling the truth. I have nothing to fear. Nothing and no one can touch me. Not even the lord of the castle has the power to hold me back. He can never lay a hand on me again..._

With a start, Kagome slipped back into reality. She blinked a few time, adjusting

"_Kagome?"_

"Why?"

'That's not my memory! That's... Hitomi's' Kagome muttered to herself, rubbing her hands over her face to wake herself up properly.

'Why?! Why I am having her dreams?'

"_She must be on trouble. Since we cant communicate normally, it must have found a way to transfer the memory as a warning."_

"Cant you hear you brethren?" Silence followed, the wait was almost too much for Kagome to bear.

"_No. its hard. I can feel the others. But not her."_ Kagome's heart sunk hearing this.

'Those memories... they always seem so real.' Kagome found herself saying out loud. The images from what she witnessed flashing through her mind, causing a headache to start forming over her brow.

_"We are reaching the next cycle. Could that have anything to do with it?"_

"I'm not sure. There's no one I can really ask, right?" She thought, feeling a queasy sensation forming in the pit of her stomach. For some reason, the dream she had left her with the sensation and it was causing her to want to find a bush and throw up.

'Kagome?' Miroku said, coming to stand in front of her.

'We should be moving. We need to be back in Kaede's village soon.'

Gathering her bag Kagome mounted her bike and pushed off, Inuyasha running in front while Miroku ran along beside her on her left. Sango and Kirara with Shippo were above Inuyasha, keeping an eye out for any demons in the area.

'I wouldn't worry too much Kagome. It shouldn't take us long to get back to the village. We should be back by this evening.' Miroku said, trying to comfort the girl after noticing the expression on her face.

'I wasn't worried. I was just...'

'Lost in thought for a moment.' Kagome finished looking down at the handle bars of her bike. Running a hand over the back of her neck, she felt clammy, sweat dampening the hair line at the base of her skull.

"That did more than make me ill. What does this mean?"

Deciding to ignore the feeling for the time being, Kagome peddled hard to keep up with the group.

'Why are we heading back to the village so soon? We just left not too long ago.' She yelled out to the others, curious as to their sudden decision to return.

'While you were in your own time, we fought and destroyed a demon. He wasn't much of a challenge, but as he was dying he kept screaming out something about the boards of the ages or the elemental boards.' Miroku explained.

'So?' Kagome couldn't understand why they were straying from their mission to investigate something a demon told them.

'So no one here has ever heard of such things. We are hoping Kaede might know and can tell us anything about them.' Slowing down, Kagome watched and let Miroku speed on ahead. She applied the brakes and stopped, watching the group run on futher.

'Here's hoping.' She muttered to herself, suddenly feeling even worse than before.

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**To be continued**

**Chapter four will be posted within the next few hours or within the next day. Please review and tell me what you think is happening to our dear Kagome. **


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